Puffin Foundation

The Puffin Foundation is a private foundation that gives grants to left-of-center and arts-focused nonprofits. The Puffin Foundation was launched in 1983 by Perry Rosenstein. 1 The foundation primarily donates to apolitical charity groups, although its advocacy-related philanthropy has supported environmental and conservation groups in the Northeastern United States. The foundation has a sister organization called the Puffin Foundation West, which is based in Columbus, Ohio, and gives grants in the Southern and Midwestern United States. 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Non-profit, 501(c)(3), Private Foundation
Issue Areas: Multi-Issue Advocacy
Website: www.puffinfoundation.org
Location: Teaneck, NJ View on map
Tax ID: 47-1164496
Most Recent Filing: 2024
Budget (2024): Assets: $86,927,755 Revenue: $7,125,145 Expenses: $5,023,138

Contents

    Funding

    The Puffin Foundation has given the most funds to the following five organizations: the Alzheimer’s Association of Massachusetts New Hampshire at $316,668 (2012-2016), the Vinalhaven Land Trust at $150,000 (2012-2014), the North Bennet Street School at $112,000 (2012-2014 and 2016), the Land Trust Alliance at $100,000 (2014-2016), and the North Haven Sustainable Housing (2015-2016). 3

    Activities

    In May 2024, the Puffin Foundation and TYPE Media Center held an event in New York City to discuss obstacles in increasing the youth vote in the city and how to address them. The event was attended by members of several advocacy groups including HeadCount, 18by Vote, and the New York Public Interest Research Group. 4

    Leadership

    Perry Rosenstein is the founder and president of the Puffin Foundation, which he launched with the funds he made in the fastener manufacturing industry. 1 He also founded the Teaneck Creek Conservancy in 2001 and is the husband of executive director Gladys Miller-Rosenstein. 1

    Gladys Miller-Rosenstein is the executive director of the Puffin Foundation and oversees the in-house project the Puffin Cultural Forum. 5

    Neal Rosenstein is the vice president of the Puffin Foundation’s board of directors and son of Perry and Gladys Rosenstein. 6 Neal Rosenstein frequently consults for the New York Public Interest Research Group on its electoral reform advocacy. 6 He is also the board treasurer of the Teaneck Creek Conservancy. 6

    Peter N. Carroll is a special consultant to the Puffin Foundation and is chair emeritus for the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives. 6

    Ilene Richman is a special advisor to the Puffin Foundation’s board of directors, and has been the executive director of the Association of Fertility Awareness Professionals since 2014. 6

    Financial Statistics

    Total Assets

    Total Revenue

    Total Expenses

    YearTotal AssetsTotal RevenueTotal ExpensesFiling
    2024 $86,927,755 $7,125,145 $5,023,138 View
    2023 $77,991,646 $6,607,105 $4,636,056 View
    2022 $68,516,027 $2,966,548 $5,556,418 View
    2021 $87,901,554 $6,313,116 $3,744,360 View
    2020 $76,544,711 $51,131,134 $3,931,151 View

    Prior year filings: 2015, 2014

    Expenses Detail

    Employee Compensation

    Highest Earning Employees

    EmployeeTitleTotal Compensation
    Neal S RosensteinPRESIDENT/TREASURER$137,415
    Gladys Miller-RosensteinVICE-PRESIDENT$125,410
    Andrew H LeeCULTURAL CENTER ART$108,545
    Patricia MaciejunesOFFICE ADMINISTRATOR$105,264
    Jeremy LentzDIRECTOR$103,065
    Melissa A LynamIT DIRECTOR/MARKETIN$94,764
    Ilene RichmanGRANT ADMINISTRATION$79,764

    Grant Activity

    All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:

    • Total Grant Value: $13,123,770
    • Number of Grants: 128
    • Number of Recipients: 54

    Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:

    AmountYearFunderSubject
    $385,0002020 Type Media CenterRESEARCH INSTITUTES AND/OR PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS
    $355,0002023 Type Media CenterUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
    $255,0002023 Abraham Lincoln Brigade ArchivesSUPPORT HISTORY MUSEUMS.
    $250,0002022 Democracy Now Productions IncUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
    $245,0002024 Abraham Lincoln Brigade ArchivesSUPPORT HISTORY MUSEUMS.
    $235,0002022 Abraham Lincoln Brigade ArchivesSUPPORT HISTORY MUSEUMS.
    $235,0002021 Abraham Lincoln Brigade ArchivesSUPPORT HISTORY MUSEUMS
    $235,0002020 Abraham Lincoln Brigade ArchivesSUPPORT HISTORY MUSEUMS
    $213,0002020 Institute for Public AffairsPUBLIC, SOCIETY, BENEFIT- MULTIPURPOSE AND OTHER N.E.C
    $200,0002020 Babies and Mothers Alive USAEDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND SCHOOLS
    $197,0002023 Museum of the City of New YorkSUPPORT HISTORY MUSEUMS.
    $170,0002022 ANDREW GOODMAN FOUNDATION INCUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
    $150,0002024 Democracy Now Productions IncUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
    $150,0002024 Nation Fund for Independent JournalismincUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
    $150,0002024 The Andrew Goodman FoundationUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
    $150,0002023 The Andrew Goodman FoundationUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
    $150,0002021 Democracy Now Productions IncUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
    $150,0002020 Foundation for National ProgressOTHER ART, CULTURE, HUMANITIES ORGANIZATIONS/SERVICES N.E.C
    $125,0002023 Nation Fund for Independent JournalismincUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
    $125,0002022 Nation Fund for Independent JournalismincUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.
    $125,0002021 Babies and Mothers Alive USAEDUCATIONAL SERVICES AND SCHOOLS
    $115,7002024 Museum of the City of New YorkSUPPORT HISTORY MUSEUMS.
    $112,5002022 University of Washington FoundationSUPPORT UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON.
    $106,8102020 Alumni Association of the University of Washington School of DentistrySUPPORT UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
    $100,0002023 Democracy Now Productions IncUNRESTRICTED GRANT TO SUPPORT THE ORGANIZATION'S EXEMPT PURPOSE.

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    Financials, employee compensation, and grant information provided by Candid.

    Mentioned in this Article

    References

    1. Melissa. “Perry Rosenstein.” Puffin People. Accessed August 12, 2019. http://www.puffinfoundation.org/component/content/article/916-puffin-people-perry.html.
    2. “Mission Statement.” Puffin Foundation West, Ltd. June 05, 2019. Accessed August 12, 2019. https://puffinwest.org/mission-statement/.
    3. Information Provided by FoundationSearch. Puffin Foundation. Accessed, 2019. www.FoundationSearch.com  
    4. Gueye, Aminata and Nikole Rajgor. “Youth Voter Turnout in NYC Is Struggling. These Organizations Want to Fix It.” The Nation, August 30, 2024. https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/voter-turnout-nyc-youth-2024/.
    5. Melissa. “Gladys Miller-Rosenstein.” Puffin People. Accessed August 12, 2019. http://www.puffinfoundation.org/component/content/article/917.html.
    6. Melissa. “Puffin People.” Puffin People. Accessed August 12, 2019. http://www.puffinfoundation.org/about-us/puffin-people.html.